‘Too Young to Drive Too Young to Ride’
ATV Safety Campaign
Summary Report
Submitted by: Kidsafe Connection, Stollery Children’s Hospital
Generously funded by the Northern Lights Regional Health Foundation and
the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation
1
Injury Background:
Most injuries are not accidents. They are predictable and preventable and one of the
most significant health issues facing children and teens in this country. Injuries are
responsible for more childhood deaths than all other childhood diseases combined.1
According to Safe Communities Canada, 53% of deaths to children 1 – 19 years of age
are a result of an injury event.2
ATV Injury:
Since 1999, all terrain vehicle (ATV) related incidents are one of the top three leading
causes of serious injuries to children and teens resulting from sport and recreational
activities in Alberta.3
In 2006, there were 22 deaths in Alberta related to ATVs. Of those deaths, six were
under the age of 19.4
That same year, Capital Health’s emergency departments saw 385 patients under the
age of 20 with various injuries related to ATVs. This is an increase of almost 10% from
the year before.5 During the same timeframe, Northern Lights saw 118 patients under
the age of 20 which is an increase of 57% from 2005.5
Objectives:
Northern Lights Health Region (NLHR) partnered with Kidsafe Connection, Stollery
Children’s Hospital on an ATV safety campaign, ‘Too Young to Drive, Too Young to
Ride’, aimed at:
increasing public awareness of injuries related to the use of ATVs,
increasing public knowledge of the risks associated with children using all-terrain
vehicles, and
directing the target audience to the partner websites.
Creatives:
The campaign was launched May 29, 2008 and ran throughout the summer ending the
September long weekend of 2008. This campaign used various methods to raise public
awareness in both the Northern Lights and Capital Health regions.
__________________________________________
1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2000). Injury mortality: National summary of injury mortality data.
Safe Communities Canada (Sept 30, 2008). Safe communities Canada well positioned to face emerging crisis
affecting Canada’s children.
3
Alberta Trauma Registry and Kidsafe Connection (June 2006). Alberta child and teen trauma report.
4
Office of the Medical Examiner, Government of Alberta (2008). Unpublished data, Edmonton, Alberta
5
Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research (2008). Unpublished data, Edmonton, Alberta
2
2
The campaign consisted of a radio ad, print ad, and posters (see Appendices A and B).
In addition, a website, www.capitalhealth.ca/safeATV, was created featuring additional
ATV safety information with links to this site being hosted by the Northern Lights Health
Region’s website. The website remains active as an ongoing strategy to increase the
public’s awareness of the risks associated with ATV use and to provide ongoing
accessibility to ATV information.
Activities:
Campaign Launch
The Stollery Children’s Hospital Public Affairs department provided ongoing support to
this campaign and coordinated the campaign launch on May 29, 2008 in Edmonton and
Fort McMurray. The Northern Lights Health Region Communications department
provided local support for the project and coordinated the project launch in Fort
McMurray.
On May 29, 2008 the ‘Too Young to Drive, Too Young to Ride’ ATV safety campaign
was launched at the Stollery Children’s Hospital with a live feed via videoconference to
Fort McMurray. Dr. Bill Sevcik – Stollery Children’s Hospital Emergency, Dr. Daniel
Garros – Stollery Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care, Dr. Brian Dufresne –
Northern Lights Emergency, and Dr. Don Voaklander – Alberta Centre for Injury Control
and Research were all on hand to support this initiative.
Creative Distribution
A radio ad, print ad, and poster were created as part of this campaign. The radio ads
were aired on Mix 103.7, Country 93, and Rock 97 in the Northern Lights region and on
K-Rock 97.3, CISN 103.9, and Joe FM 92.5 in the Capital Health region. The radio ads
were played for three days prior to each long weekend during the campaign.
The print ads were placed in rural community newspapers. These included Fort
McMurray Today and Fort Chipewyan/Slave Lake Journal in the Northern Lights region
and the following community newspapers in the Capital Health region – Fort
Saskatchewan/Sturgeon, Leduc Representative, Morinville Mirror, Redwater Tribute,
Stony Plain Reporter/Spruce Grove Examiner, Thorsby Target, and Warburg Bugle.
Posters were distributed to interested parties and key stakeholders. Approximately 650
large (18 x 24) and 350 small (8½ x 11) posters were sent throughout Alberta. In
addition, posters were distributed at the 2nd Annual Child Health Injury Symposium at
the Stollery Children’s Hospital.
Website
A website, www.capitalhealth.ca/safeATV, was created to provide the public with
additional information regarding ATV safety. The site includes the following sections:
data and research, for parents, multimedia, personal stories, and relevant links.
Throughout the campaign, this site has had 4,500 visits with over 82,600 pages viewed.
This website remains active.
3
Promotion
In addition to distribution of the creatives as discussed earlier, the ‘Too Young to Drive,
Too Young to Ride’ campaign was promoted through various other venues. These
included Capital Health Notes – an e-mail distribution system to Capital Health
employees; Kidsafe Connection’s Topic of the Month distribution list – an e-mail list of
injury prevention key stakeholders throughout the province of Alberta; campaign listing
on the Safe Communities Canada listserv; and posting on the Health In Action website
and e-bulletin. As well, on June 11 and 12, 2008 in partnership with the Stollery
Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Northern Lights Regional Health Foundation,
Rock 97.8 FM and Country 93.3 FM took to the air to raise funds to enhance local
pediatric care in Fort McMurray, during the first Caring For Kids broadcast. The
radiothon highlighted the ATV safety campaign throughout.
Presentations
Recognizing that ATV safety is a priority issue in many health regions and provinces,
the messaging and process is being shared across Canada. Presentations were given
at the Alberta Regional Health Authority and Community Coalition Safety Promotion
Network meeting on May 8, 2008 and at the 2nd Annual Child Health Injury Symposium
on May 29, 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta. In addition, Kidsafe Connection has been
invited to present in Toronto at the Ontario Injury Prevention Conference in November
2008.
Other
Parkland County, a county within Capital Health, referenced the ‘Too Young to Drive,
Too Young to Ride’ campaign in their media release regarding the strengthening of their
Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Bylaw to require OHV operators be 16 years of age and in
possession of a Class 5 Driver License.
Media
Newsletters
To further spread the message that children and teens under the age of 16 do not have
the strength, skills, or judgment to safely operate an ATV; articles were published in the
Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research newsletter in August 2008 and in the
Canadian Agricultural Safety Association newsletter in September 2008.
Launch
A media release was distributed prior to the May 29, 2008 campaign launch (see
Appendix C). Response to the campaign was well received with radio, print, and
television coverage. Media outlets represented in Edmonton included CTV Edmonton,
Global TV, CBC TV, City TV, 630 CHED, Cool 880, Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun,
Metro, and 24 Hours. In Fort McMurray reporters from the Fort McMurray Today
newspaper, CTV news, and Mix 103.7 radio station attended the event.
4
Other
Interest continued after the launch was complete with articles on and/or references to
the campaign appearing in the Edmonton Examiner, Edson Leader, the Spruce Grove
Examiner/Stony Plain Reporter and Fort McMurray Today. In addition, an editorial was
done by Yukon Jack which appeared in the Edmonton Sun and live on the radio station
the Bear 100.3. Edmonton’s City TV Edmonton Breakfast Television also interviewed
Dawn Vallet-MacDonald (Program Manager, Kidsafe Connection) and Dr. Daniel Garros
(Pediatric Intensive Care Specialist, Stollery Children’s Hospital). Local coverage in Fort
McMurray also included reporting on the Mix 103 radio news and a CTV News segment.
Evaluation
Omnibus Survey
Leger Marketing was contracted by the campaign partners to include five questions on
ATV safety in the September OmniAlberta survey. Leger surveyed 900 Alberta
residents, including 300 in Edmonton census metropolitan area (CMA), 300 in Calgary
CMA and 300 other Alberta regions aged 18 years and older, between September 18th
and 29th, 2008 (see Appendix D for complete results).
Highlights:
One third of respondents (37%) were familiar with the ‘Too Young to Drive, Too Young
to Ride’ campaign.
One-quarter (25%) of respondents state their awareness of the injuries and risks related
to the use of ATVs for children and teens increased after seeing the campaign.
On average, respondents’ state the minimum age at which children can safely operate
an ATV is 14.8 years.
On-line Survey
An on-line survey was hosted on the campaign website, www.capitalhealth.ca/safeATV,
in an attempt to gain insight into the sites’ visitors’ opinions on ATV use. The survey
was available from May 28, 2008 to September 15, 2008. During this time, 161 people
completed the survey (see Appendix E for complete results).
Highlights:
Of all the respondents, over 50% indicated they owned an ATV with almost 60%
indicating they had children between 0-16 years of age. Over 45% of respondents
indicated they allowed their child(ren) to ride ATVs.
When asked how they had heard of the safe ATV website, the most common method
was some form of internet access (i.e. Capital Health website, web searches, e-mail)
followed by print materials.
Of the 161 visitors who took this survey, 88% (n=141) shared where they live with over
40 communities represented.
5
Funding
The ‘Too Young to Drive, Too Young to Ride’ campaign was generously funded by the
Northern Lights Regional Health Foundation and the Stollery Children’s Hospital
Foundation.
Looking Forward
As a result of the ‘Too Young to Drive, Too Young to Ride’ campaign, additional
initiatives and opportunities have developed.
Representatives of the Chinook Health Region have obtained the artwork from the
campaign posters with plans to reproduce the materials for distribution and promotion in
the region. Interest in the campaign and the creative products has also been expressed
on behalf of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo who are developing an Off
Highway Vehicle (OHV) master plan.
As part of an overall marketing strategy to promote injury prevention throughout the
Edmonton area, Kidsafe Connection designs and arranges to have bookmarks
distributed through the public library system. The ‘Too Young to Drive, Too Young to
Ride’ campaign messaging and ‘safe ATV’ website will be featured in the spring 2009
design and distribution of these bookmarks. Approximately 24,000 bookmarks will be
distributed through the libraries with an additional 6,000 distributed by Kidsafe
Connection to key stakeholders.
With public awareness rising regarding the risks of ATV use, the Government of Alberta
has formed an OHV Committee to review regulations in reference to the use of OHV in
Alberta. Kidsafe Connection was invited to be a member of this committee and regularly
attends these meetings.
As follow-up to the ‘Too Young to Drive, Too Young to Ride’ campaign, Kidsafe
Connection is in the initial stages of planning the 2009 Campaign. Campaign messaging
will be consistent with recommendations determined through the OHV Committee.
Currently, in the Edmonton region, there are ‘Helmet Safety’ resource kits that are
available for schools and community groups to borrow free of charge. These kits
contain lesson plans and supplemental resources to teach children and teens risk
management strategies for a variety of sports (i.e. cycling, snowboarding). Kidsafe
Connection is planning to expand these kits to contain information regarding off highway
vehicle safety, including ATVs. The information contained within the kit will be available
provincially via Kidsafe Connection’s website. Kidsafe Connection is also developing a
powerpoint presentation containing ATV related injury information and risk management
strategies. This presentation will be available electronically to key stakeholders
throughout Alberta free of charge.
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Appendix A
Radio Ad
TEEN ATV SAFETY
RADIO 30 SECOND
“PLACES”
SFX:
ATV STORMS OFF INTO DISTANCE
ANNC’R:
An all terrain vehicle can show you places you can only imagine. Put a kid
on an ATV and his sense of adventure will take him over hills
SFX:
EST. DISTANCE SIREN
ANNC’R:
across streams, between boulders, through forests and who-knows
where else?
SFX:
SIREN PASSES
ANNC’R:
ATV’s also take hundred of kids to emergency departments all
across the Province, giving their parents the adventure of their lives.
DOCTOR:
All we can do now is wait.
ANNC’R:
Every year in Alberta, kids are killed riding ATV’s. Hundreds more are
injured.
Too young to drive is too young to ride.
Brought to you by Capital Health Stollery Children’s Hospital/Northern Lights Regional
Health Foundation.
To hear this radio ad go to www.capitalhealth.ca/SafeATV
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Appendix B
Capital Health Print Ad/Poster
8
Appendix B
Northern Lights Print Ad/Poster
9
Appendix C
Campaign Media Release
NEWS RELEASE
May 29, 2008
www.capitalhealth.ca
Too Young To Drive Too Young To Ride
Capital Health and Northern Lights Health Region
launch ad campaign urging parents to keep kids off ATVs
Edmonton, Canada – Every year in Alberta kids are killed riding all terrain vehicles. Hundreds
more are injured. In recent years, ATVs have become a leading cause of serious pediatric
injuries relating to sport and recreation activities in this province. Capital Health and Northern
Lights Health Region’s injury prevention groups have partnered to address this escalating
situation.
“Parents need to understand that children are not sustaining bumps and bruises when they are
involved in an incident with an ATV. When things go wrong with an ATV, they go very wrong,”
said Dr. Bill Sevcik. “To witness so many perfectly healthy children ending up in the emergency
department with life-threatening injuries in the name of fun or recreation is distressing,
particularly since these injuries are perfectly preventable.”
In 2007, there were 18 pediatric major traumas related to ATVs in Alberta. This past Victoria
Day long weekend, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Emergency Department saw a total of twelve
patients with ATV injuries, six of them major traumas and three more just shy of being classified
as a major trauma.
“The numbers are alarming but more than that, these families are enduring unnecessary
heartbreak and loss,” said Sevcik.
Thanks to contributions from the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Northern Lights
Health Region Foundation, a radio, print ad and poster campaign is now underway urging
parents to keep their kids off ATVs.
“Kids can wear the safety gear but it doesn’t protect them from the reality that they do not have
the strength skills or judgment to be riding these vehicles,” said Dr. Brian Dufresne with
Northern Lights Health Region. “If you’re too young to drive, you’re too young to ride.”
Kidsafe Connection strives to reduce the number of unintentional injuries sustained by children
and teens. More children die annually from injuries than all other childhood disease combined.
Injuries are not accidents. They are predictable and preventable.
-30Capital Health in Edmonton is Canada's largest health region and is affiliated with the University of Alberta, providing
integrated health services to one million residents in Edmonton and the surrounding area. Capital Health acts as a
referral centre to Central and Northern Alberta, the North and the Prairies, providing specialized services such as
trauma and burn treatment, organ transplants and high-risk obstetrics.
Contact: Holly Budd, Public Affairs: Phone (780) 407-1567; Pager (780) 445-5838
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Appendix D
Omnibus Results (Leger Marketing)
1. Recently, Capital Health and the Northern Lights Health Region undertook an All
Terrain Vehicle (ATV) safety awareness campaign called "Too
Young to Drive, Too Young to Ride". Are you familiar with this campaign?
All Respondents
Recall campaign
Do not recall campaign
Total
(n=900)
37%
63%
Driven ATV
(n=321)
47%
53%
Have Not Driven ATV
(n=576)
31%
69%
Bold figures denote significant difference
2. Considering how much you knew about the injuries and risks related to the use of
ATV's for children and teens before and after seeing or hearing the advertising,
would you say the advertising
Total Driven ATV
(n=900)
(n=321)
All Respondents
Recall campaign
37%
25%
8%
17%
11%
1%
63%
Increased awareness of injury and risks
Increased awareness a lot
Increased awareness a little
Did not increase awareness
Don’t know
Do not recall campaign
47%
31%
9%
21%
15%
1%
53%
Have Not
Driven ATV
(n=576)
31%
21%
7%
14%
9%
1%
69%
Bold figures denote significant difference
3. Where did you see or hear of the campaign?
All Respondents
Total
(n=900)
Driven ATV
(n=321)
37%
14%
14%
11%
2%
1%
1%
*
*
*
*
63%
47%
15%
17%
17%
4%
2%
1%
*
*
53%
Recall campaign
TV advertisement/commercial
Newspaper/poster
Radio
Word of mouth
News
Website
Magazine
Billboards
Other
Don’t know
Do not recall campaign
Bold figures denote significant difference; *less than 1% of respondents
11
Have Not
Driven ATV
(n=576)
31%
13%
12%
8%
1%
1%
1%
*
*
*
69%
Appendix D
Omnibus Results (Leger Marketing)
4. Have you or any others in your family operated an ATV in the past 12 months?
All respondents
Operated ATV in the past 12 months
Have not operated ATV in the past 12 months
Don’t know
(n=900)
38%
62%
*
*less than 1% of respondents
5. At what minimum age, if any, do you think children can safely operate an ATV?
All Respondents
Less than 10 years of age
10 to 11 years
12 to 13 years
14 to 15 years
16 to 17 years
18 years
Any age
AVERAGE
Don’t know
Total Driven ATV Have Not Driven ATV
(n=900)
(n=321)
(n=576)
4%
1%
8%
3%
2%
6%
9%
7%
13%
23%
25%
21%
40%
32%
45%
12%
5%
16%
2%
4%
2%
14.8
13.8
15.5
8%
7%
8%
Bold figures denote significant differences
Sub-segment Analysis
1. Higher proportions of respondents who state they or others in their family have
driven an ATV in the past 12 months, compared to those who have not:
are familiar with the campaign (47% vs. 31% have not driven an ATV
before)
heard about the campaign on the radio (17% vs. 8%) or through word of
mouth (4% vs. 1%)
state the following minimum age ranges for safely operating an ATV:
o less than 10 years (8% vs. 1%)
o 10 to 11 years (6% vs. 2%)
o 12 to 13 years (13% vs. 7%)
2. A higher proportion of respondents who have not driven an ATV compared to those
who have:
state the minimum age that children can safely operate an ATV is:
o 16 to 17 years (45% vs. 32%)
o 18 years (16% vs. 5%)
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Appendix D
Omnibus Results (Leger Marketing)
3. A higher proportion of respondents in Edmonton (49%) compared to those in other
regions in Alberta (36%) and in Calgary (26%) are familiar with the campaign.
4. Higher proportions of respondents in other regions in Alberta compared
to respondents in Edmonton or Calgary indicate:
they or members of their family have operated an ATV in the past 12 months
(60% vs. 35% Edmonton, 18% Calgary)
the minimum age that children can safely operate an ATV is
o less than 10 years of age (7% vs. 1% Edmonton, 2% Calgary)
o 12 to 13 years of age (14% vs. 8% Edmonton, 5% Calgary)
5. A higher proportion of respondents in Edmonton (12%) and Calgary (18%) than
respondents in other regions in Alberta (7%) state the minimum age that children can
safely operate an ATV is 18 years of age.
6. The average minimum age stated by respondents in other regions in Alberta (14.2) is
lower than that stated by respondents in Edmonton (15.1) and Calgary (15.3).
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Appendix E
On-line Survey Results
1. Do you own an ATV?
Yes
No
46%
54%
2. Do you have children 0-16 years of age?
Yes
No
42%
58%
3. Do your children ride ATVs?
28%
Yes
No
n/a
25%
47%
14
Appendix E
On-line Survey Results
4. How did you hear about the safe ATV website? (more than one response could be
entered)
34
Print
Radio
9
Word of Mouth
Other
27
96
Of the 96 responses listing ‘other’ as how they heard about the safe ATV website, 67%
(n=64) listed some form of internet access as the source (either through the Capital
Health website, web searches, e-mail, etc.)
5. Where do you live?
Of the 161 visitors who took this survey, 88% (n=141) shared where they live with over
40 communities represented. The graph below shows the breakdown by Alberta health
regions (boundaries as of January 2008).
1%
6%
2% 1%
2%
11%
6%
2%
2%
67%
Capital
Calgary Heatlh
David Thompson
East Central
Aspen
Peace Country
Northern Lights
Other Provinces
USA
unknown
Of interest to note is that of the visitors who completed the survey and where in the
Capital Health region (67% of total), 56% listed Edmonton as their place of residence.
15